Envelop-moistener.



G. GERDOM.

E NVELUP MOISTENER. APPLlcATloN FILED 1M/7.1911..

Patented Oct. 30, 1917.'

GREGORY GEEDOM, F WATERVLIET, NEW YORK.

. ENVELOP-MOISTENEB. i

Specification of Letters IPa'tent.- Patented Oct. 30, i917.

' Application ld Mey 7, 1917. 'Serial No. 167.031.

To allwwm may concer-n: l l

Beit known that I, GREGORY GERpoM, a

y citizen ofV the United States,v residing at VVatei-vliet, in thecounty of Albany and State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Envelop# Moisteners; and I doV declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same. v Y

My invention relates lto moistening devices for moistening envelopflaps, stamps and the like and its primary object is to provide.al1-improved form of moistener providing a novel construction andarrangement of parts which will be simple and 'cheap to manufacture andwhich will at the same time be durable and most eiicient in operation.

A further object of my invention' is. to provide a moistener supportwhich is so constructed that when the support is secured above a. tableit willhold the moistener in spaced relation from the table and -Willal'-` low the moistener to be readilygmanipulated over the table when itis desired to use the same. v l

Vith these and other generalA objects in view which will appear from thedescription the invention residesin the. novel construction, combinationand arrangement yof parts to be more fully hereinafter described andclaimed when taken in connection 'with the accompanying drawings whichform a part of thisapplication.

In a .copending application Serial No. 164781, I have described andgenerically claimed the construction and principles of operation of myimproved moistener.

In the accompanying drawings y Figure 1 is aside elevation of myimproved moistenerin retracted position; 'ry

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the same extended;

Fig. 3 is a detail vertical section of' the container:

Fig. 4 is a view f a modiedform of cou-.J

tainer;

Figs. 5 and 6 are detail horizontal secv tional views on the lines 5-5oFig.A 2.and

6 6 of Fig. 3 respectively.I

Brieiyv my. inventioncomprises a fluid means thereon and mounted on' alazy tongs secured to a wall bracket so that it maybe easily manipulatedwhen it is desired to use the same. The improved moistener in detailcomprises a channel wall bracket l having a bottom 2 and laterallyextending side flanges 3. The wall bracket is substantially rectangularin shape and is provided at its ends with apertures to receive therethrough screws or other fastening members for securing the bracket to awall or desk or any suitable support as may be desired. The bracket ispreferably vertically disposed and at spaced intervals on the bottom 2is a pair olaterally extending lugs 4 apertured toreeeive therethrough apivot pin 5 and mounted on the pivot pin and secured thereon between thelugs 4 are sleeves 6 having attached thereon the levers 7 or' the lazytongs 8.

A table or envelop holder T is suitably supported below the lazy tongsso that an envelop may be placed on the table and the vmoistener to bedescribed, drawn out over the Hap of the envelop pressed down and movedlaterally thereon.

Owing to the fact that the lazy tongs are made of metal they have acertain iexibility.

-If no downward pressure is vexerted the moistener will be heldvertically spaced fromthe table'but when a downward pressure is exertedthe bottom of the moistener will come in contact with the table due tova certain vertical play allowed by the re-V of the table and -preventsleakage ,which 'container provided with Huid distributing would occur ifthe moistener was positioned on top' of the table. a

` At the opposite end the levers 7. of the lazy tongs are' pivotallysecured to attach' ing lugs 9 formed on a cylin ical fluid con- I`tainer casinglOlhaving a c nically reduced lower end 11 and an' openupper end adapted Y .-to be closed by a detachable cap 12 suitablysecured thereto.. Disposed in the conically re ducedlower end 11 andprojecting slightly A therebeyond is a, Huid spreader member 13 whichmay be of any approved form andV which is so .disposed as to be movedfreely with respect to the walls of the casingor if preferable which maybesecured thereto so as to distribute Huid on the larticle to [bemoistened-when the same s passed thereover.

When the lazy tongs 8 is in retracted position the levers 7 comprisingthe tongs will lbe compressed between the channel of the bracket 1 andthe lugs 9 onthe cylindrical walls of the liuid container casing 10which will then assume its position substantially between the ends ofthe side flanges as illustrated in Fig. 1. As a. means ofmanipulatingthe bracket and container casing l provide a handle memberl1 which may be of any conliguration preferred and which is integrallyformed or rigidly secured to the casing 10 diamctrically opposite theattachings lugs 9 in this approved form of my invention.

Seated on the conically reduced walls 1l of the lower end ofthe casingis a valve 15 which is spaced inwardly a rsulicient distance from thelower end of the casingas `to provide a slight clearance for thespreader member 13 when the same is actuated. rlhe valve is providedwith a vertically extending stem'16 projecting at its upper end beyondthe top of the casing and slidable through the detachable cap member 12..at its upper end a handle member 17 is secured thereon to provide a.means for opening and closing the valve 15 as desired. Removablypositioned within the casing is a pair of spiders 18 having radiallyextending arms 19 in slidable engagement with the walls of the casing.

These spiders are vertically spaced from oney another by a connectingtube 2O suitably threaded at either end'fto the spider members andadapted to act as a guide for the stem 16 and surrounding the samethroughout the reater portion of its length. As a means ttor normallyholding the valve seated l provide a coil spring 21 having suitableconnections between the stemvl and the detachable cap 19. whereby toforce the valve downwardly upon its seat at'all times.

'In the operation of my improved moistener the handle member 14 isgrasped to pull the container casing outwardly and extend the lazy tongsto bring the container in the position desired. Then a slight downwardpressure is exerted on the moistener and it is ymoved over to the ap ofan envelop to op vbe caused to deliver moisture to the surface of theflap or other article. lf the spreader member comprises a ball it ismerely neces-` sary to exert a slight inward pressure or liftingmovement upon the ball whence the same will be caused to engage thevalve ll` lifting it from its seat and delivering aportion of itscontents on the spreader member. Upon the pressure being^relieved thevalve will again be seated under the action of the spring 21 and theball, may be rotated by action of the ap of the envelop being passedtherenascere over so as to deliver the Huid upon all parts thereof'after causing the valve to be lifted. When it is desired to use a brushas a spreader member it is simply necessary to grasp the handle member17 on the valve stem 16 and draw the same upwardly against the action ofthe s ring 21 to lift the valve from its seat and eliver duid to thebrush. The spring 21 will, as is obvious, return the valve to its seatin the upward pull and the handle 17 is released.

l do not confine myself to any specific material used in theconstruction of this improved moistener as the container may be filledwith any suitable fluid or disinfectant as may be desired, but l find itpreferable to construct thecontainer casing in a bracket of a lightmetal which will insure a strong and durable device.

lln Fig. 4 of the drawing I have illustrated a modified form of myinvention in which the spreader member comprises a brush 13 mounted inthe lower end of the casing in place of the ball 13. All other parts ofthe device are identical in every respect with the form hereinbeforedescribed and in the description already given the function andoperation of the brush member 13. has been delinitely set forth andtherefore it will not be necessary vto elaborate on the same.

While l have described and illustrated in the accompanying drawingscertain approved forms of my invention and certain details as to theconstruction thereof, l desire to be understood that l do not limitmyself to any specific construction, combination and arrangement butthat any changes may be made in the minor details of its constructionand that any materials desired may be used as will fallwithin the scopeof the invention as claimed.

1What l claim is:

llhe combination with a moistener of a pair of lazy tongs having meansat one end to hold the moistener, the other end of said tongs beingpivotally mounted above a table in such a manner that the moistener'willbe held vertically spaced from said table, said table forming means tosupport the envelop to be moistened and said lazy tongs being adapted toresiliently yield .when downward pressure is exerted on the moistener sothat said moistener will contact with the envelop on the table.

ln testimony'whereof l have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

GREGRY GERDOM.

Witnesses Hanna W. Rronannson, l-ll. Gr.

